The five wildest player-fan fights in sports history after Darwin Nunez's clash with Colombia supporters

Colombia's win over Uruguay in the Copa America semifinals descended into chaos on Wednesday night when Darwin Nunez leapt into the crowd and swung punches at opposition fans.

Yet believe it or not, the Liverpool forward is not the first sports star to trade blows with spectators.

Countless athletes have let the red mist descend and brawled with supporters in stadiums over the years, with most receiving hefty fines and suspensions as a result.

But what are the five wildest fights between players and fans in sports history?

DailyMail.com has taken a look back at the most astonishing of the lot, including one infamous Kung-fu kick.

Malice at the Palace

Back in November 2004, the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons were at the center of a brawl which remains the most infamous in NBA history.

The Pacers were leading 97-82 in Detroit with 45.9 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter when Pistons center Ben Wallace was fouled by Ron Artest and reacted by shoving him on the court.

A fight then broke out between both sets of teams as tempers flared on the night, before the madness appeared to cool down as the officials began discussing potential ramifications.

It was at this point, however, that all hell broke loose.

As he laid down on the scorer's table while waiting for an interview, Artest was hit with a drink from the stands by a fan named John Green, who was subsequently targeted by the Pacers small forward.

Artest leapt up and darted into the crowd, only to mistakenly grab another fan, Michael Ryan, and slam him to the ground after mixing him up for Green.

More drinks and punches were thrown in the stands as chaos ensued, with the game immediately called off after a police presence was called to the Palace of Auburn Hills.

After the 'Malice at the Palace', nine players were suspended for a total of 146 games - including Artest and Wallace - with an estimated $11million lost in salaries. Five players and as many fans were charged with assault , with the supporters also handed life bans from Pistons home games.

Cantona's Kung-fu kick

Manchester United legend Eric Cantona is not only remembered as a true genius with the ball at his feet, but he also remains one of the greatest enigmas to ever step foot in the Premier League.

The controversial Frenchman's most infamous outing came on January 25, 1995, after he was sent off for kicking a rival player during United's 1-1 draw away at to Crystal Palace.

As he left the field, a home supporter ran down the stairs at Selhurst Park to taunt him from the stands, which triggered one of the most astounding moments in English soccer history.

Cantona, incensed by what he'd heard from the crowd, jumped up and Kung-fu kicked the fan in an image which still defies belief to this day.

After later admitting to a charge of criminal assault, the striker was sentenced to community service and served an eight-game ban while also paying a £30,000 ($39,000) fine.

He also sat in front of the media to address the scandal, only to pull out one of the most mysterious quotes of all time by simply saying: 'When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea. Thank you very much.'

Bruins enter the stands

Hockey is famous for allowing its players to trade fists on the ice, but in December 1979 members of the Boston Bruins team memorably left the rink at Madison Square Garden to exchange blows with spectators instead.

During their game against the New York Rangers, Bruins forward Stan Johnathan was hit in the head with a program by a fan who also stole his stick.

After the assault and robbery of their teammate enraged Boston players jumped over the glass and went after the fan, named as Johnathan Kaptain.

Terry O'Reilly was the first to go after Kaptain in the stands before more of his teammates followed as they tried to retrieve Johnathan's stick, which led to a staggering fight between the Bruins and several members of the crowd.

Kaptain eventually got away from O'Reilly, only for Peter McNab and Mike Milbury to chase after the New Jersey native and eventually pin him down to the ground. Milbury then hit proceeded to hit him with his own shoe before throwing it onto the ice.

Kaptain, along with his father, brother and friend, were charged with disorderly conduct before that charge was eventually dropped.

While fans decided not to press charges on the players who stormed the stands, O'Reilly was suspended for eight games, while Milbury and McNab were banned for six. All of them were also fined $500.

Vieira kicks out

While it came long after his playing career had ended, Patrick Vieira lost his cool when confronted and goaded by an Everton fan as Crystal Palace manager in 2022.

After they fought back from two goals down to snatch a late 3-2 win which preserved their Premier League status, Everton supporters invaded the field in jubilant scenes at Goodison Park.

As he tried to get out of the celebrations, Vieira came face to face with a home fan who stuck a camera in his face while directing abuse towards him, which led to a furious reaction from the Palace coach.

Vieira initially tried to ignore the fan before kicking out in frustration and sending him tumbling to the floor, with other supporters then appearing to confront him in a shocking series of events.

Despite footage of the incident going viral, Merseyside Police announced shortly after that they would not be taking the matter any further, before the English FA followed suit.

Lakovic defends coach

The NHL's Battle of Alberta - a historic rivalry between the Canadian cities of Edmonton and Calgary - is often an intense affair.

Yet none have proved more dramatic than the night of November 23, 1996 - when an Oilers fan sparked mayhem by leaning over the glass and pouring a beer over Flames assistant coach Guy Lapointe.

While Lapointe tried to retaliate by punching the fan in question, the wildest reaction came from Flames enforcer Sasha Lakovic, who skated over and leapt over the glass headfirst in a bid to defend his coach.

As violent scenes broke out in the stands, the local police were called in a bid to restore order, before the Oilers went on to seal a 3-2 victory.

The fan received a ban from Edmonton's Coliseum for life, with Lakovic suspended for two games over the incident.